Committees formed to manage Tamil Nadu Endangered Species Conservation Fund – The Hindu

Establishment of Management Committees for Tamil Nadu Endangered Species Conservation Fund

Introduction and Strategic Mandate

The Government of Tamil Nadu has issued a formal order establishing a Governing Committee and an Executive Committee to manage the Tamil Nadu Endangered Species Conservation Fund. This initiative represents a significant step towards achieving key environmental targets outlined in the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), particularly SDG 15 (Life on Land), which focuses on halting biodiversity loss and protecting threatened species.

The fund, established in November 2024 with a corpus of ₹50 crore, aims to strengthen conservation measures for endangered species. To ensure specialised scientific oversight and align with evidence-based conservation principles, the fund’s administration has been transferred to the Advanced Institute for Wildlife Conservation (AIWC), Vandalur.

Alignment with Sustainable Development Goals

The operational framework of the fund and its committees is directly aligned with the following SDGs:

• SDG 15 (Life on Land): The core mission is to take urgent action to protect and prevent the extinction of threatened species and halt the loss of biodiversity.
• SDG 14 (Life Below Water): The inclusion of marine research experts on the Governing Committee indicates a commitment to protecting marine and coastal ecosystems.
• SDG 17 (Partnerships for the Goals): The structure promotes effective public-private and civil society partnerships by integrating government officials, scientific experts, and philanthropists to achieve shared conservation goals.

Committee Governance Structure

Governing Committee

The Governing Committee is responsible for providing high-level strategic guidance and steering the fund’s utilisation and augmentation. It will meet at least once every four months and will have a tenure of three years.

Composition of the Governing Committee

1. Chairperson: Chief Secretary to the Government
2. Vice-Chairperson: Additional Chief Secretary, Environment, Climate Change and Forests Department

Membership Roster

• Secretaries to Government from the Finance and Industries Departments
• Principal Chief Conservator of Forests (Head of Forest Force)
• Principal Chief Conservator of Forests and Chief Wildlife Warden
• Principal Chief Conservator of Forests and Director, AIWC
• Principal Chief Conservator of Forests and Secretary, Tamil Nadu Biodiversity Board
• Chairman, Tamil Nadu Pollution Control Board
• Director of Environment
• Chairperson of the National Biodiversity Authority (or representative)
• Director, Wildlife Institute of India (or representative)
• Director, Institute of Forest Genetics and Tree Breeding, Coimbatore
• Experts and Philanthropists (Tenurial Members):
  • Rohini Nilekani, Chairperson, Rohini Nilekani Philanthropies
  • Mallika Srinivasan, Chairman and Managing Director, TAFE
  • J.K. Patterson Edward, Director, Suganthi Devadasan Marine Research Institute
  • K. Jayakumar, Professor, Madurai Kamaraj University
  • S. Balachandran, Managing Trustee, Migratory Bird Monitoring Trust
  • Arumugam, Managing Director and CEO, Broadline Technologies

Executive Committee

The Executive Committee is tasked with managing the day-to-day operations of the fund. Its primary function is to supervise project implementation and monitor conservation activities, ensuring that the objectives of SDG 15 are effectively achieved on the ground.

Composition and Responsibilities

• Chairperson: Additional Chief Secretary, Environment, Climate Change and Forests Department
• Members:
  • Principal Chief Conservator of Forests and Director, AIWC
  • Chairperson, Tamil Nadu Pollution Control Board
  • Additional Principal Chief Conservator of Forests (Wildlife)
  • Chief Conservator of Forests (Research)
  • Director of Environment
• Member Convener: Deputy Director (Administration), AIWC

The committee’s responsibilities include project supervision, resource mobilisation, and ensuring the effective protection and restoration of endangered species in Tamil Nadu, thereby contributing to both state and global biodiversity conservation targets.

Analysis of SDGs, Targets, and Indicators

1. Which SDGs are addressed or connected to the issues highlighted in the article?

• SDG 15: Life on Land

  The article’s primary focus is on the conservation of endangered species, which is the central theme of SDG 15. The establishment of the “Tamil Nadu Endangered Species Conservation Fund” is a direct action to protect terrestrial biodiversity and ecosystems within the state.

• SDG 14: Life Below Water

  While not the main focus, this goal is relevant. The term “endangered species” is broad and can include marine life. The inclusion of the “Director, Suganthi Devadasan Marine Research Institute, Thoothukudi” on the Governing Committee strongly suggests that the fund’s scope extends to the protection of marine and coastal biodiversity.

• SDG 17: Partnerships for the Goals

  This goal is addressed through the formation of the Governing and Executive Committees. The article details a multi-stakeholder partnership involving various government departments, scientific institutions (AIWC, Wildlife Institute of India), civil society experts, and private sector philanthropists and leaders (Rohini Nilekani, Mallika Srinivasan). This collaboration is essential for mobilizing resources and expertise to achieve conservation objectives.

2. What specific targets under those SDGs can be identified based on the article’s content?

1. Target 15.5: Take urgent and significant action to reduce the degradation of natural habitats, halt the loss of biodiversity and, by 2020, protect and prevent the extinction of threatened species.

   The article directly addresses this target. The fund’s stated purpose is to “strengthen conservation measures for endangered species” and its objectives include “protecting and restoring endangered species in Tamil Nadu.” This is a clear commitment to preventing the extinction of threatened species.

2. Target 15.a: Mobilize and significantly increase financial resources from all sources to conserve and sustainably use biodiversity and ecosystems.

   The article explicitly mentions the establishment of the fund “with a corpus of ₹50 crore and an initial sanction of ₹5 crore as seed money.” Furthermore, one of the duties of the Executive Committee is to “mobilise resources,” directly aligning with this target of securing financial support for conservation.

3. Target 14.2: By 2020, sustainably manage and protect marine and coastal ecosystems to avoid significant adverse impacts, including by strengthening their resilience, and take action for their restoration in order to achieve healthy and productive oceans.

   This target is relevant due to the inclusion of a marine research expert on the Governing Committee. This implies that the conservation fund will also finance projects aimed at protecting and restoring marine species and their habitats in Tamil Nadu.

4. Target 17.17: Encourage and promote effective public, public-private and civil society partnerships, building on the experience and resourcing strategies of partnerships.

   The entire governance structure described in the article is an embodiment of this target. The committees bring together government officials (Chief Secretary, etc.), public institutions (AIWC, TNPCB), experts from academia (Professor, Madurai Kamaraj University), and representatives from the private/philanthropic sector (“Rohini Nilekani, Chairperson, Rohini Nilekani Philanthropies; Mallika Srinivasan, Chairman and Managing Director, Tractors and Farm Equipment Limited”). This structure is designed to leverage the combined resources, knowledge, and influence of these diverse stakeholders.

3. Are there any indicators mentioned or implied in the article that can be used to measure progress towards the identified targets?

• Indicator for Target 15.5 & 14.2: The article implies indicators related to the conservation status of species. While it does not name a specific metric like the Red List Index, the Executive Committee’s mandate to “supervise the implementation of projects” and “monitor conservation activities” points to a system of tracking the effectiveness of conservation efforts. The ultimate measure of success would be the stabilization or recovery of endangered species populations in Tamil Nadu, which would be documented through these monitoring activities.
• Indicator for Target 15.a: The article provides a direct quantitative indicator for financial mobilization. The “corpus of ₹50 crore” and the “initial sanction of ₹5 crore as seed money” are specific financial figures that measure the public expenditure on biodiversity conservation, which aligns with Indicator 15.a.1 (Official development assistance and public expenditure on conservation).
• Indicator for Target 17.17: The existence and composition of the partnership itself serve as a key indicator. The article’s detailed description of the members of the Governing and Executive Committees provides evidence of a functional multi-stakeholder partnership. The list of participants from government, academia, civil society, and the private sector is a qualitative indicator demonstrating the establishment of the collaborative framework required by this target.

4. Table of SDGs, Targets, and Indicators

Source: thehindu.com